


The Birthday Blues....Or Maybe Not

by brooklyn09



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Aging, Birthday Fluff, Dating, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 07:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16321808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklyn09/pseuds/brooklyn09
Summary: Greg turns 50. What started out as a day to dread turns into a day of wonderful new possibilities.





	The Birthday Blues....Or Maybe Not

**Author's Note:**

  * For [detafo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/detafo/gifts).



> For @detafo for her birthday, part of the Mystrade Birthday Buddies exchange on Tumblr!

Greg was awakened by the incessant trilling of his phone. He reached over to the nightstand and felt around for the offending object, finally grasping it and dragging it in front of his face. He cracked an eye open. Sherlock. Nope. Not this morning. Last night at Baker Street was painful enough. He didn’t have to listen to his and John’s ribbing already this morning. Wait until they turned 50. Doubtful they’d find it as amusing. Unless the world was ending, Greg decided he wasn’t dragging his butt out of bed this morning. He tossed the phone toward the foot of the bed and settled back into his pillows to grab a few more winks. Maybe he could even stay in bed all day, wrapped in this little cocoon of warmth, and ignore the day all together. 

He must have dozed off, for when he next awoke, the sunlight was coming through the window from a bit higher in the sky. Also, his bladder was demanding relief. He threw off the blankets and trudged to the bathroom to take care of business. Washing his hands, he looked at himself in the mirror. Not bad, if he did say so himself. Maybe a few more pounds around his middle than there were last year at this time. But he still had his hair, one of his most appealing qualities in his opinion. 

He went back to his bed, now fully awake and feeling a little more optimistic about the day ahead, and searched for his phone amidst the covers. Three missed calls (all from Sherlock) and four texts. Sally, his mate Mark, Sherlock and, to his delight, Mycroft. Hmm, things really were looking up. He checked to make sure the other texts weren’t important (they weren’t - birthday greetings from Sally and Mark, and a request to run interference with Anderson from Sherlock. Nope, not today mate!) and called Mycroft. 

“Happy Birthday Detective Inspector." 

Hearing Mycroft’s voice sent little shivers down Greg’s spine. "It’s Greg. And thank you, Mycroft.”

“Greg. Yes. Um, I was wondering….Do you have plans today?" 

Well, this was unforseen. But definitely not unwelcome. 

"Honestly, I had planned to lay low today. Birthdays aren’t what they were when we were kids. Back then, we were looking forward to getting older. Now we’re looking for a way to slow time down.”

“Oh, I don’t know, ” mused Mycroft genially. “I rather prefer these middle years. I find I’m more comfortable in my own skin, more self assured, confident. Adventurous. I find I try to make each moment count. As you get older, you realize you have a finite number of years remaining.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” replied Greg. “I never really thought about it like that.”

“Well, I unfortunately am busy this evening, but was wondering if you’d like to have lunch with me instead?” asked Mycroft hopefully.

Greg could barely contain himself. “I’d love to,” he responded.

Before they ended the call, plans were made to meet at a new eatery on Thayer Street in an hour. 

**********

Greg arrived on time, and was surprised to find only one table occupied. He thought the place had good reviews, but maybe not. He made his way over to the table where Mycroft was perusing the menu. 

“Ah, welcome Greg! You don’t look a day over 49,” Mycroft joked, rising to shake Greg’s hand. Greg noticed Mycroft giving him an appraising eye which caused Greg to blush from head to toe. “I’ve taken the liberty of ordering appetizers, they should be here momentarily.”

“Thanks, Mycroft.” Looking around the empty restaurant, Greg asked, “Where is everyone? I would have expected this place to be packed from the reviews I’ve read.”

“Oh, I took the liberty of reserving the entire restaurant for a few hours. It will give us a chance to talk without distraction." 

"Wow. That’s, erm, nice.” And unexpected, Greg thought. 

They ate their meal enjoying comfortable conversation about everything but Sherlock. That subject was off limits to ensure a pleasant meal. 

As Greg was finishing his birthday dessert, Mycroft pulled a bag from the seat next to him and handed it to Greg. Inside he found a pair of tickets to an Arsenal game. “I thought we could see a match together sometime,” suggested Mycroft. 

“I didn’t know you liked football, Mycroft!" 

"I really don’t, but you do. And it brings me joy to do something that makes you happy. Your zest for life is infectious, ” Mycroft smiled. 

Greg laughed heartily, until he noticed that the smile fell from Mycroft’s face and he looked hurt. 

Greg put his hand on Mycroft’s arm to reassure him. “Oh, no, Mycroft, this gift is great! Fantastic really. This is one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had! I was laughing because this morning I didn’t want to get out of bed, dreading the day of the big 5-0. And now it turns out that this is one of the best birthdays that I have ever had, thanks to you.”

Now it was Mycroft’s turn to blush. 

They finished their meal, Mycroft settled the bill and they walked outside. 

“Thank you for a lovely lunch, ” said Greg. “This was a perfect way to spend my birthday." 

"You’re welcome. I enjoyed your company immensely. Unfortunately I have to return to work for the afternoon. Perhaps I can call you tonight when I get home from work?” asked Mycroft hopefully. 

“I’d like that, Mycroft. Very much.”

They stood on the sidewalk awkwardly for a minute, before Greg took Mycroft’s earlier advice and reached up to press a kiss to his cheek. Greg looked at Mycroft earnestly. “I hope that was ok. I was just thinking of what you said earlier. Make your moments count.”

“I did say that, didn’t I?” mused Mycroft.

He leaned down and gave Greg a more insistent kiss on the lips. They both reluctantly pulled away when the ubiquitous black government car pulled up alongside them. 

“I will call you later, Greg. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

And with that, Mycroft was off, and Greg stood there watching him go with an enormous grin on his face. He turned and headed for home, excited to see what the next 50 years would bring. He had a feeling it was going to be quite amazing.


End file.
